Project Gutenberg 2004-01-01 Public domain in the USA. 182 Stowe, Harriet Beecher 1811 1896 Stowe, Harriet Elizabeth Beecher Crowfield, Christopher Stowe, H. B. (Harriet Beecher) Betty's Bright Idea; Deacon Pitkin's Farm; and the First Christmas of New England E-text prepared by Suzanne Shell, Richard Prairie, Sjaani, and Project Gutenberg Distributed Proofreaders "Betty's Bright Idea; Deacon Pitkin's Farm; and the First Christmas of New England" by Harriet Beecher Stowe is a collection of short stories written in the late 19th century. The narratives explore themes of social responsibility, charity, and the spirit of giving during the Christmas season, focusing on characters from various walks of life who are deeply affected by their circumstances. The stories highlight the contrast between wealth and poverty, emphasizing the importance of kindness and philanthropy. The opening portion introduces "Betty's Bright Idea," centering around a young girl named Florence, who finds herself disenchanted with the commercialism of Christmas. Struck by a desire to give meaningfully, she contemplates how to help those less fortunate, reflecting on the biblical idea of generosity towards the needy. Simultaneously, we are introduced to the struggles of John Morley and his family, who are confronted with hardships stemming from his past mistakes. The scene showcases the interplay between Florence's wealth and the plight of John’s family, setting the stage for a narrative rich in moral reflections and the greater purpose of the holiday spirit. (This is an automatically generated summary.) file:///public/vhost/g/gutenberg/html/files/10723/10723-h/images/cover.jpg Reading ease score: 74.6 (7th grade). Fairly easy to read. en Christmas stories New England -- Social life and customs -- Fiction PS Text Christmas Browsing: Culture/Civilization/Society Browsing: Literature Browsing: Fiction 187876 2025-06-05T04:24:17.873388 text/html 190979 2020-12-20T03:43:22 text/html; charset=iso-8859-1 218841 2025-06-05T04:24:21.167418 application/epub+zip 217387 2025-06-05T04:24:18.326386 application/epub+zip 102509 2025-06-05T04:24:18.079394 application/epub+zip 316513 2025-06-05T04:24:23.627377 application/x-mobipocket-ebook 294709 2025-06-05T04:24:20.838386 application/x-mobipocket-ebook 154420 2022-09-05T09:39:19.769779 application/x-mobipocket-ebook 175216 2023-10-05T06:49:41.210200 text/plain 16454 2025-06-05T04:24:23.777362 application/rdf+xml 17585 2025-06-05T04:24:18.168418 image/jpeg 2413 2025-06-05T04:24:18.123386 image/jpeg 207539 2025-06-05T04:24:17.910410 application/octet-stream application/zip Archives containing the RDF files for *all* our books can be downloaded at https://book.klll.cc/wiki/Gutenberg:Feeds#The_Complete_Project_Gutenberg_Catalog en.wikipedia